Lily Of The Valley
by Fernie Jamison
Summary: Aurora Valley was once considered a beautiful region. With its rolling hills, breathtaking meadows and valleys, and its stunning mountain scenery, many would call the region "Heaven on Earth". It was the one place where humans, Pokémon, and nature seemed to live in harmony. But when the war broke out, Aurora Valley became a barren wasteland. Lily, however, had a plan to fix it.
1. Chapter 1

_Lost the battle, win the war_  
 _Bringing my sinking ship back to the shore_  
 _We're starting over, or head back in_  
 _There's a time and a place to die but this ain't it_

-Now; **by Paramore**

* * *

There had been a time when the Aurora Valley was renown for its beauty. When people would come from far and wide just to get a _glimpse_ of the region's natural allure. Tourists would _marvel_ over how easily the People of the Valley and their Pokémon would interact, working together to better their homes. There had been a time where Aurora Valley was known as "Heaven on Earth". Now, it's known as a barren wasteland. A reminder of a time gone by, of a war that's still going on. The People of the Valley, and the Pokémon they befriended, prompted a mass exodus due to the war's increasing violence. The damage the Valley was facing was causing problems for everyone. Plant-life was quickly dying off, the soil being unable to produce _any_ thing. The air was becoming toxic and the water supply was becoming tainted. The Valley's leaders wanted to save as many of their people and Pokémon as possible. And while the leaders _did_ manage to save lives, many of them ended up scattered around the globe. Families ended up separated, people being unable to get in contact with relatives or friends. Being forced to leave their homeland made the People of the Valley feel vulnerable, but being separated from loved ones made them feel _empty_. What were they supposed to do? Wish their missing loved ones the best? They couldn't comprehend the magnitude of everything that happened. It baffled them, confused them, _angered_ them. Many of the Valley's former inhabitants were furious that _they_ were forced from their homes because of the war. That _they_ had to see everything they knew get _destroyed_ because of some _disagreement_. And that was all the war really was, a disagreement. So many of the People were left bitter, drowning in their negativity. Those emotions eventually traveled down to their descendants.

But, there were also others who learned to adapt to their new surroundings. Some who traveled to new regions quickly learned their customs and did their best to forget the lives they had before. It was almost like a coping mechanism, that need to assimilate. The descendants of those families never learned of their former culture. The only lives they knew were the ones they had in their respective regions. And then there were those who incorporated their old culture into their new environments. Lily's family did just that. Her great-grandparents had emigrated to Unova, and mixed the Valley's old traditions into their new lives in such a foreign region. Lily's grandparents, parents, and eventually _herself_ , grew up in that lifestyle, and it worked out wonderfully for them. But they were still left knowing that they would never return to Aurora Valley. It was a heartbreaking thought, but it was one they had to come to terms with. Well, except for Lily. She wanted to believe there was a way to restore the Valley to its original glory. The only problem was she didn't know _how_.

 **-O-**

Being a descendant of the People of the Valley was important for Lily. She found it to be a big part of who she was. It defined her in the greatest possible way. Her Unova friends were aware of her ancestry and were fascinated of it. They'd heard stories of Aurora Valley, of how beautiful it once was, and of its eventual downfall. For Lily, however, she'd make sure to tell them of her plans to one day restore her family's former home. They'd brush off the claims, laughing about how she was just talking big. How it was impossible for a land so badly damaged to be properly restored. Those claims always frustrated Lily, causing her to become even _more_ determined to fulfill her dream. If she found a way to bring Aurora Valley back, then she'd be able to bring her family back to their homeland; along with all the people who'd scattered during the exodus. Everything would be back to normal. But there was still a war going on between the People of the Valley and their enemies, the Arcadians.

It had been years before, around the time of Lily's great-grandparents, when a distant region known as Arcadia began threatening Aurora Valley. The two regions originally had a very diplomatic relationship, one built solely on trade. They'd swap much needed resources and meet up once every year to discuss how things were going. One year, though, the Valley's leaders traveled to Arcadia and announced a shortage of supplies, and that it would take time for the proper amount to be traded. That caused a great amount of tension. Arcadia then demanded that the Valley produce a set amount by a specific timeline, one that was almost unrealistic. When the time came and the amount of materials didn't meet the quota, arguments and disagreements arose. Eventually, those disagreements became violence. The two regions started threatening each other. Arcadia was the first to attack, sending a small group of Charizard to set fire to the Valley's crop fields. As a result, in retaliation, the Valley sent a group of Dewgong and Gyarados to freeze and drown _Arcadia's_ crops. The retaliation soon became more and more extreme, until the Pokémon on both sides were eventually attacking each _other_. Even some people from the opposing sides would travel great distances to try and cause some damage themselves. That was when the war was declared. Arcadia was quick to overpower the Valley, due to the former's growing technological advancements. The Valley eventually found itself being destroyed beyond repair, which resulted in the mass exodus. For Lily's great-grandparents, the main reason they chose Unova was because of its closeness to Aurora. They knew that there would be major differences, but they were ready to face them head-on. Besides, Lily's great-grandparents managed to escape from a major war-zone. That was an impressive feat on its own.

At least, that was how Lily saw it. She truly enjoyed hearing the story of her people, of her great-grandparents. It reminded Lily of who she was and where she came from. It reminded her what her family had to face back in the bad times. It was because of those stories that inspired the young girl to want and restore the Valley. Her parents, of course, thought it was just the wild imagination of a child; her friends thought she was being dramatic. No one really had any hope in Lily's claims. But she wasn't going to let that dampen her determination. Lily would do what she could to be the hero her people needed. To be the inspiration the People of the Valley needed to back home.

 **-O-**

Laying on her bed, Lily let out a huff of air. She'd spent a good portion of her day out shopping for her mother, Ava. And Lily knew that once her mother needed shopping done, that usually meant a _long_ list of things. Ava was very particular on what she needed, and wouldn't accept anything other than what was on the list. Everyone in the family knew better than to veer off what was written. The one time Lily _ever_ went off her mother's shopping list was when the local market was out of Razz berries. Because there were none, the young girl chose to get Tamato berries instead. Ava was not happy. After that moment, Lily vowed to never go off the list ever again. But that morning's shopping run took longer than necessary. For starters, it took Ava nearly an hour to figure out what she wanted. Secondly, Lily's Pokémon, Zorua, was being difficult. The duo usually went everywhere together, but on that particular morning, Zorua just didn't want to behave. And lastly, it was just one of those days where everything was seemingly going wrong. By the time Lily made it back to her home, it was mid-afternoon and she was _exhausted_. Ava was grateful for what her daughter brought back, but it still didn't make what had happened any better. Zorua chose to make a ruckus at the market, trying to steal some of the vendors' supplies. Then Lily got yelled at by a few for her Pokémon's conduct. A few almost refused to serve her and Lily had to practically beg them to at least give her _one_ of what they had. Aside from her Pokémon's misbehavior, the teen nearly dropped all the groceries on her way home. The one thing the teen was grateful for was that she at least got everything on Ava's list.

 _"(Are you still angry at me)?"_ Zorua's voice was small, near Lily's bed. It certainly snapped her out of her thoughts, causing her to sit up a little and peer over the edge of her bed. Zorua's eyes were big and pitiful. Lily had to wonder if the expression was authentic or not.

"I'm still thinking about it," she replied curtly. "And don't even bother giving me that look. You're not coming on the bed."

Letting out a huff, the Tricky Fox Pokémon laid down on the ground beside the bed. _"(I was just having a little fun),"_ she muttered.

"Trying to steal from the vendors isn't _fun_ , Zorua. I don't know what got into you today, but I got into serious trouble because of you."

 _"(You're just a party-pooper)."_

"How about I let you sleep outside tonight. Wouldn't _that_ be fun?"

 _"(With all those scary Pokémon out there? I don't think so)."_

Lily could almost _hear_ the shiver in Zorua's words. That made her smirk. "Good, now you'll stay down there until I say otherwise," she responded.

 _"(How long will that be for)?"_

"Keep asking and I'll make it indefinitely."

With a grumble, Zorua let out a huff as she closed her eyes. She could try for a nap all she wants, or pout all she wants, but Lily wouldn't let up. Zorua's behavior was in no way acceptable, and she would not be rewarded for acting out. Peering over the bed again, Lily couldn't help but smile, though. She and Zorua had been through a lot together. They had a bond that couldn't be broken, no matter how bratty one of them was acting.*

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **This isn't exactly my favorite first chapter. I envisioned it going in a completely different direction, but this is what I got. Oh well. If you've got constructive criticism, don't hesitate to let me know. I'm all for that. Knowing what to do to improve the story is always important!**

 **Nothing in the PKM fandom belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the laptop I'm typing on. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**

 **On that note, I'll see you guys later.**

 **Fernie Jamison**


	2. Chapter 2

_Rose-colored boy_

 _I hear you making all that noise_  
 _About the world you want to see_  
 _And oh, I'm so annoyed_  
 _'Cause I just killed off what was left of the optimist in me_

-Rose-Colored Boy; **by Paramore**

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **My friends, I'm so sorry about the delay on this chapter. I've been so overwhelmed with school and work that I completely forgot about this. I'm sure I could go on and on about everything I've been going through, but that's not important right now. I want you guys to know that I will be continuing this story, but I don't think I'll be able to do it as soon as I wanted. Once summer's here and I'm done with school, I'll be able to have more time to work on this.**

 **In the meantime, I own nothing in this fandom. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the extreme exhaustion I feel. If you guys have ideas for OCs or subplots, don't hesitate to let me know. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**

 **Also, if you guys could give constructive criticism on what I have out already, I'd appreciate it. I know it may not be much, but hopefully you guys can help me in that area. At least, in my opinion anyway, whatever feedback I get from you guys, I can apply to the story once I have a proper writing schedule down.**

thor94: _Ash will appear in later chapters. Since it's so early in the story right now, I'm thinking about getting a steadier flow on Lily and any other additional characters I might add in. I don't want to rush in with Ash and company, it'll throw me off my balance if I do that. On top of that, I'm trying to figure out ways to properly write Iris and Cilan. The B &W series was one I didn't entirely follow, so this is a new experience for me. I want to make sure I get the canon characters right._

Dragon's Blaze: _I hope your OC is coming along well! I know you'll be able to catch up on it, my friend. You've got my support._

 **Like I mentioned before, constructive criticism is always welcome. I'm also okay with any questions you guys might have. Anything that seems unclear to you guys, or you're just genuinely curious about something, don't hesitate to let me know! That's what I'm here for; to help you guys with my process. I hope I'm not asking too much from you guys. I just like the idea of having my reviewers as involved in the story as I am. I think it makes the story more interesting.**

 **Anywho, I should probably be wrapping this author's note up.**

 **And for anyone who was expecting a chapter, I'm sorry you got stuck with this. But I am in a really tight spot right now and I need to put my energy into that for now. I hope you guys understand that!**

 **On that note, I'll see you guys later.**

 **Fernie Jamison**


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